Gift exchange rules explained
White Elephant, Yankee Swap, Pirate dice, Left-Right and Secret Santa: how each one works.
The rules, side by side
White Elephant
4-60 players
Everyone brings one wrapped gift; on your turn you open a new gift or steal an opened one.
Setup
- Agree a spending limit before the day (the host sets it in the app).
- Each player brings one wrapped, unlabeled gift and puts it in the pile.
- The app draws a random turn order.
On your turn
- On your turn, choose: unwrap any gift from the pile, or steal a gift someone has already opened.
- If your gift is stolen, you immediately choose again: unwrap a new gift or steal a different one.
- You may not steal back the gift that was just taken from you in the same round (no steal-back).
- The turn passes to the next player in order once someone unwraps a new gift.
Options
- Steal limit: a gift can be stolen at most 3 times; the third owner keeps it (it is frozen).
- Freeze after N steals: the host picks N (1 to 5).
- Turn timer: 60 seconds to decide, so the night keeps moving.
Ending
- When every gift is unwrapped, player 1 (who had no chance to steal at the start) may make one final swap with any unfrozen gift.
- The game ends after that final swap.
Yankee Swap
4-60 players
A close cousin of White Elephant: instead of stealing, you trade your opened gift for another opened gift.
Setup
- Same as White Elephant: one wrapped gift each, a spending limit, a random turn order.
On your turn
- The first player opens a gift.
- Each later player either opens a new gift or swaps their own opened gift with any opened gift on the table.
- A player whose gift is swapped away takes the other gift; no immediate swap-back.
Options
- Swap limit per gift (host picks 2 to 5).
- Last-gift rule: whoever opens the last gift may swap it once.
Ending
- After the last gift is opened, player 1 may make one swap with any unfrozen gift, then the game ends.
Pirate Dice Swap
4-40 players
Roll a die each turn; the face you roll decides whether you open, steal, pass left, pass right, or skip.
Setup
- Each player brings one wrapped gift; gifts go in the middle.
- Seat players in a circle so left and right are clear.
- The app shows the dice table and rolls an on-screen die (each face has a 1 in 6 chance).
On your turn
- Roll the die and follow the face:
- 1: Open a gift from the pile and keep it in front of you.
- 2: Steal any opened gift.
- 3: Everyone passes their gift one place to the left.
- 4: Everyone passes their gift one place to the right.
- 5: Swap your gift with any player you choose.
- 6: Lose a turn (or roll again, if the host turns on the 'lucky six' house rule).
Options
- Custom tables: the host can rename each face or change its action before the game.
- Round limit or timer: the game ends when the timer runs out instead of when the pile is empty.
- Players with no gift who roll a steal or swap must open from the pile instead.
Ending
- When the pile is empty (or the timer ends), everyone keeps what is in front of them.
Secret Santa
3-60 players
Each person is secretly assigned one other person to buy a gift for; nobody draws themselves.
Setup
- List everyone taking part.
- Add exclusions: couples or households who should not draw each other, and last year's matches if you want new pairings.
- Set the budget and the reveal date.
On your turn
- The app makes the draw so that nobody gets themselves and every exclusion is honored.
- In one-device mode, pass the phone around: each person taps their name to see only their own match, then hides it.
- In phones mode, each phone receives only its own match.
Options
- Re-draw before anyone has looked, if the group changes.
- Wish lists: each person can add a few gift ideas for their Santa.
- Guess-your-Santa round at the gift-opening.
Ending
- On the reveal day, gifts are exchanged; Santas may reveal themselves or stay secret.
Steal Duels add-on
4-40 players
When a steal is contested, a quick physical challenge decides who keeps the gift.
Setup
- Pick a short list of minute challenges everyone can safely do (see the minute-challenge cards).
On your turn
- When a player steals, the owner may call a duel once per game.
- The app picks a challenge and runs a 30-second timer; the winner keeps the gift.
- A gift that has been dueled over counts as one steal toward its freeze limit.
Options
- Kids and grandparents may nominate a stand-in for the duel.
Ending
- The exchange continues with normal turns.
Left-Right pass
4-30 players
Gifts move one place left or right around the circle each time the reader says the word in a short story.
Setup
- Everyone sits in a circle holding one wrapped gift.
- Pick a reader and one of the app's original stories (written by us).
On your turn
- The reader reads slowly; on each 'left' everyone passes their gift one place left, on each 'right' one place right.
Options
- Speed round: read the story a second time faster.
Ending
- When the story ends, everyone keeps the gift they are holding.